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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Queensland’s LNP has tread softly in government. It’s now baring its teeth over the power to break up workers’ strikes
The controversial legislation may end up placing large sections of its suburban support – critical to the party’s lead in the polls – on the bonfire Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast For almost two years, the Liberal National party’s strategy for government in Queensland has been to stay well clear of issues that risk burning through political capital. On Wednesday, one of the most tentative conservative governments in recent history announced plans for sweeping and controversial changes to workplace laws. Continue reading...
Palestine book co-written by Alana Hadid pulled from Random House just before release
Hadid and Jenan Matari withdraw book planned for young readers after disputes with editors over characterizations of 7 October A book on Palestine for young readers was pulled at Penguin Random House just before its scheduled release, following editorial disputes between the publisher and the book’s Palestinian American authors over their account of Palestinian history. In November 2024, Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, signed the book deal with Alana Hadid, a philanthropist, activist and older sister of models Bella and Gigi, and Jenan Matari, an author and communications strategist. The book was promoted for release in September this year. Continue reading...
Russell Brand told woman ‘it’s just fun’ as he raped her, court hears
Southwark crown court jury is shown video of woman telling detectives about alleged attack in 1999 A woman has alleged Russell Brand told her “it’s just fun” as he raped her in a hotel room at the 1999 Labour party conference, a court has heard. The alleged victim told detectives the comedian made her feel sick and dirty as he assaulted her despite her pleading: “Get off me, please stop. It hurts.” Continue reading...
US lawmakers unveil bill to hold Wall Street’s ‘Epstein-connected’ bosses to account
Move comes as Senator Elizabeth Warren condemns Barclays response to questions over ex-boss’s ties to sex offender US lawmakers have unveiled a new bill to hold Wall Street’s “Epstein-connected” bosses to account for helping finance the late sex offender’s crimes. It came as top Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren condemned the UK bank Barclays for “dodging responsibility” over its failure to vet former boss Jes Staley and his ties to the once well-connected billionaire. Continue reading...
Is Andy Burnham in hot water over Manchester City? – podcast
Andy Burnham is being accused of a serious misjudgment over his comments about meetings with Manchester City’s owners. Kiran Stacey discusses the controversy after returning from a trade trip to India with the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, and the new Greater Manchester mayor, Bev Craig, during which Stacey discovered that a representative of the football club was also present . The club was recently found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules. What could the fallout mean for Burnham? You can watch Politics Weekly on our YouTube channel here Continue reading...
Bring a bottle: Viennese dog owners told to dilute their pets’ urine to protect trees
Officials issue guidance saying the ammonia in animal urine should be watered down to stop it corroding bark A neighbourhood in Vienna has introduced guidelines for dog walking, including the use of bottled tap water to rinse away urine and protect vulnerable trees. Neubau, an up-and-coming, densely populated district dotted with cafes and galleries, rolled out the Schönes Gassi (nice dog walk) campaign this week. Continue reading...
‘Fantastically special’: all 10 Victoria Crosses awarded to Royal Marines go on show for first time
Exclusive: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s new £15m permanent display tells tales of courage from conflicts such as Crimean and both world wars They tell tales of bravery under fire, may lead to conversations about the UK’s place in the world and could prompt visitors to reflect on what they might have done if faced with the same perilous circumstances. All 10 Victoria Crosses (VCs) awarded to members of the Royal Marines are going on display together for the first time along with tales of courage during conflicts such as the Crimean and both world wars. Continue reading...
Texas resident discovers second world war-era grenades in box bought at estate sale
Discovery of grenades prompted a neighborhood lockdown and a visit from the Austin police department’s bomb squad A buyer at a Texas estate sale discovered several second world war-era grenades in a box of newly bought items, prompting a neighborhood lockdown and a visit from the Austin police department’s bomb squad. The grenades, which were described as “live and active” in a social media post by the Austin police association, were removed and disarmed. Continue reading...
Illinois man arrested over alleged plot to carry out mass shooting, police say
Suspect, 19, had shared a white supremacist manifesto and was potentially targeting Hindu place of worship, police say A man arrested in a Chicago suburb had shared a document expressing white supremacist views and outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship, police said on Wednesday. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was arrested on Sunday after an individual reported receiving concerning electronic communications from him, Palatine police said. It was not immediately clear if he had legal representation. Continue reading...
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as public water supplies under threat
Some reservoirs in south-east and south-west at critically low levels as water companies call for non-essential user bans on businesses A severe drought has been declared in six areas of England with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies. Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urgent measures are being taken to secure public supplies of water. Continue reading...
Bad news for Trump ahead of the midterms: it’s still the economy, stupid
Voters’ opposition to the state of Trump’s economy is well established – despite his desperate attempts to deflect Our reporters answer your questions about the US economy and the midterm elections It’s indisputable that the political polarization of our time has reduced (and confused) the influence of economic conditions on US elections. In September of 2024, in the waning weeks of the Joe Biden presidency, 65% of Republicans believed the US economy was getting worse. About six months later, as Donald Trump launched a trade war on the rest of the world with his “liberation day” tariffs, the share of Republican pessimists had dropped to 33%. Continue reading...
First Thing: US ‘betrayal’ over Starlink undermines Ukrainian defense
President Zelenskyy accused Donald Trump of taking Russia’s side after access to the vital system was throttled. Plus, a happy ending for a dog that was missing for a month Good morning. Ukraine’s president has said he feels “betrayed” by Donald Trump over a throttling of Starlink access. Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the US president of picking the other side after more than four years of war, risking a breakdown in US-Ukraine relations. Ukraine’s military reported that the communications system, produced by Elon Musk’s SpaceX but managed by the US government, was no longer working on terminals moving at speeds greater than 100mph. That effectively rendered most of the drones used by Ukraine to strike behind the frontlines inoperable and affected the country’s best air defence system to stop Russian jet-powered attack drones bombing Kyiv. What is the likely impact of the loss of Starlink? The Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk said : “Without that protection, Russian drones will strike residential buildings, hospitals and schools like targets in a shooting gallery.” However, Starlink is not required for long-range Ukrainian missions that target Russian oil refineries, which Trump has been concerned because of their impact on world energy prices. How is Israel blocking Trump’s plans for Gaza? Israel is refusing to allow a key project for Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to proceed. In early August, it issued its first construction contract, for a military outpost to host 150 international troops as a vanguard of an international stabilization force. Two months later, Israel has still not allowed the contract to move forward. Continue reading...
John Healey vows to give ‘breathing space’ to consumers and businesses in first budget
Speaking at IMF annual meeting in Bangkok, chancellor says he will stick to fiscal rules while recognising business and living costs UK politics live – latest updates Business live – latest updates John Healey has promised to use his first budget in a fortnight’s time to offer consumers and businesses a “breathing space” while sticking to Labour’s fiscal rules. Speaking to journalists in Bangkok, where he has been attending the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings, the chancellor said he was conscious of rising costs. Continue reading...
Revealed: Serbian ruler’s secret role in ‘illegal’ effort to help Trump business
Exclusive: Aleksandar Vučić personally intervened to push plans for controversial $500m Trump Tower in Belgrade, which sparked protests and a criminal case Serbia’s authoritarian ruler personally intervened to advance an allegedly illegal scheme to hand over a protected site in Belgrade for a Trump tower, the Guardian can reveal. Aleksandar Vučić summoned officials to a meeting at his presidential offices about the project, which has culminated in a landmark indictment of senior figures from his regime on charges of abuse of public office. Continue reading...
Man killed by tiger at Yorkshire zoo had bouts of psychosis, inquest hears
William Chapman’s family describe ‘severe distress’ after Donald Trump shares footage of the attack on social media A man who was killed by a tiger at a South Yorkshire zoo had suffered bouts of psychosis, his family told an inquest opening, as they expressed concerns about his contact with mental health services before his death. William Chapman was mauled to death by the animal at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on Saturday, after climbing into its enclosure. Continue reading...
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sexual offences
Donaldson was found guilty in June of 18 counts of sexual abuse including one rape between 1985 and 2008 Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to a total of 15 years for sexual offences against two women who were children when he abused them three decades ago. The sentence at Newry crown court on Thursday completed the downfall of a former Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader who once dominated unionism in Northern Ireland. Continue reading...
Albania’s prime minister vows not to resign over student-led protests
Demonstrators are demanding resignation of Edi Rama after three days of clashes in Tirana Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, has said he will not resign over student-led demonstrations, as protesters and police clashed in the country’s capital for a third consecutive day. Police used teargas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators marching along several main roads around Tirana, while protests spread to other cities. Continue reading...
Donald Trump claims ‘Iran war will end very soon’ as midterm rallies heat up – US politics live
The US president said that the war will end ‘as soon as I want it to end’ as the midterms take place under a cloud of economic uncertainty Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox US president Donald Trump claimed the Iran war ‘will end very soon,’ as voters consider their options ahead of midterm elections that are taking place amid economic uncertainty and ongoing global conflict. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Trump said : “The Iran war will end very soon. It’s going to end very soon, as soon as I want it to end, it’ll end.” He added that Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon” and that oil prices would “drop like a rock”. James Talarico, the Texas Democratic nominee for Senate, faced a grilling from undecided voters on a range of issues from Gaza to his faith at a town hall. Something he emphasized was his aspiration to put residents above party allegiance. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he felt ‘betrayed’ by the US after Ukraine’s military access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite was restricted. The US president has denied that the administration has cut intelligence sharing but Musk suggested on X that the US government was behind the restrictions . Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia is facing scrutiny over her claims that she’s a lawyer. Zacharia has clarified some of the questions but the big one remains: has she ever passed the bar? Continue reading...
Russia and Ukraine resume energy strikes despite Trump warnings
Moscow sends swarms of drones to attack infrastructure in central Ukraine as Zelenskyy says Kyiv will restart strikes on Russian oil refineries Europe live – latest updates The White House’s unilateral effort to negotiate an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has collapsed as Moscow sent a record swarm of drones overnight to attack infrastructure in central Ukraine and Kyiv appeared to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries – despite warnings from Donald Trump. Moscow accused Ukraine of launching its first strike against a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region since Trump abruptly declared an “energy ceasefire” that neither Russia nor Ukraine said they had agreed to . Trump has demanded that Volodymyr Zelenskyy stop attacking Russian oil refineries, claiming that it was the cause of a global rise in the price of diesel fuel. Continue reading...
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to be sentenced for child sexual abuse – latest updates
Donaldson has been found guilty of 18 counts of sexual abuse against two women when they were children and has been told he faces a lengthy jail term At Donaldson’s pre-sentencing hearing last month, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh spoke of various tariffs for the offences, several of which carried a maximum sentence of two years. But other offences carried a maximum sentence of between 10 and 14 years under historical tariffs for crimes, she told the court. Continue reading...
Trump’s ambassadors: the loyalists and allies at the center of controversy
Kimberly Guilfoyle’s departure has renewed scrutiny of the president’s picks for diplomatic posts, from France to Jamaica Donald Trump has appointed family members, friends and loyal political allies to represent the US on the world stage, dispatching an extraordinary array of characters to embassies across the world. While presidents of both parties have long rewarded donors and allies with plum ambassadorships, Trump has chosen loyalists willing to go to bat for him regardless of the implications for US-foreign relationships. Continue reading...
US officials considering ad campaign to urge South African Afrikaners to emigrate
Exclusive: Trump has falsely claimed Afrikaners are facing ‘white genocide’, but very few have applied to live in US The US government could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a media campaign in South Africa to figure out why more white Afrikaners are not applying to become refugees to the US, as Donald Trump had hoped. State department officials, according to an August proposal seen by the Guardian, outlined a roughly $335,000 research and advertising effort after applications to the refugee program “trended lower than expected” since Afrikaners were allowed to apply directly online in November 2025. The document, written by the US mission in South Africa with a department research unit for the embassy in Pretoria, admits officials know little about why. Continue reading...
Anatomy of a lie: how misinformation is spreading through US midterm campaigns
Claims that James Talarico suffered a mental health crisis spread across rightwing media, offering a warning about disinformation ahead of the US midterm election Where is James Talarico? The question ricocheted around rightwing echo chambers before metastasising into a conspiracy theory – and a reminder of the persistent danger of disinformation in the US midterm elections. The smear campaign began when Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Texas, was not seen in public for nine days. His campaign was slow to explain why. While nature abhors a vacuum, Donald Trump and social media seize on one and weaponise it. Continue reading...
Trump should fear the BBC – these are the people who made Noel's House Party | Emma Brockes
The public broadcaster has often spoken truth to power, and can more than match the president’s prized unpredictability For the greatest account of the BBC’s finest hour, one must turn to Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel, Human Voices, written in 1980 and set 40 years earlier, at the corporation’s Portland Place wartime HQ. Flanked by sandbags and infused with a smell of cooking “from the deep hold that suggested more strongly than ever a cruise on the Queen Mary”, the organisation that Fitzgerald describes is at once noble and deeply eccentric. “Broadcasting House stood headed on a fixed course south,” she writes. “With the best engineers in the world, and a crew varying between the intensely respectable and barely sane, it looked ready to scorn any disaster.” In other words, a formidable foe, one that in the spring of 1940, in the face of anticipated Nazi invasion, decided “without prompting, that truth was more important than consolation, and, in the long run, would be more effective”. I bring this up in respect to the gathering storm of Donald Trump versus the BBC, a fight triggered by the US president’s $10bn defamation lawsuit – $10bn! It’s a wonder he didn’t go for $10 gazillion – brought against the corporation at the end of last year in response to a poorly edited episode of Panorama. The BBC was at fault, editing together comments made by the US president at a rally on 6 January 2021 to give, as the corporation’s apology put it, “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action”. But it is fighting the lawsuit. Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...